A Magnificent Neo-Classical Nine-Basket Epergne Centrepiece
Silver George III London, 1788 Maker's mark of Thomas Pitts.

Total weight: 7,174.7g, 230 oz 14 dwt
Height: 57.1cm, 22.5in Width 71.1cm, 28in Depth: 52cm, 20.5in.

Marked on stand, arms and baskets
Bearing the crest and coats-of-arms of Sir Peter Pole 2nd Baronet of Wolverton

With eight foliate scroll branches issuing flori-form collars supporting four oval and four circular pierced baskets around a larger oval basket, five baskets having glass liners and each engraved with an eagle crest, the stand formed as four bowed supports enclosing a pineapple, all joined to a dished oval base centred with acanthus leaves surrounded by a fluted band, engraved at both sides with a mantled coat of arms and the motto PRUDENS SICUT SERPENS, on foliate feet.
Artist Biography:
Son of Thomas Pitts of the Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel, apprenticed to Charles Hatfield 6 December 1737 and turned over to David Willaume (II) February 1742. Free, 16 January 1744. The mark now attributed here to him must have been entered not long after the start of the missing register of 1758-73, and he appears as plateworker, Air Street, St.James's, in the Parl. Report list 1773. Heal records him as working silversmith and chaser, Golden Cup, 20 Air Street, Piccadilly, 1767-93. The 'Workmen's Ledgers' of Parker and Wakelin (Garrard MSS., Victoria & Albert Museum) contain many pages of accounts from Pitts for epergnes from 1766, from which the identification of the mark, formerly attributed to Thomas Powell, in absence of any other evidence was natural enough. His three sons, Thomas, William and Joseph were all apprenticed to him in Air Street, 1767, 1769 and 1772. It is interesting to note that Joseph was apprenticed to his father and turned over the same day to Philip Day plate casemaker and leatherseller and described as plate casemaker on attaining his freedom in 1781. The continuous need for cases for the output of epergnes and centrepieces must have led to a close connection with Day probably a desire to have a member of the family sharing in the business arising